Ive been lucky enough to travel to many countries all over the world and attend weddings， parties and religious celebrations in different countries. I notice that gold is almost always part of cultural events. Why do people love gold？

For some people， gold seems to be a status symbol. Indian businessman Datta Phuge loves gold so much that hes even bought a shirt made of gold at a cost of $250，000. “Some elite people want to own an Audi or Mercedes， I chose gold，” he explains.

For other people， gold is an investment. The price of gold generally increases over time — and in European markets it even reached over $1，600 per ounce in 2013.

And for many people， the family heirloom brings together status and investment. My mother has a gold bracelet that was given by her grandmother — who， in turn， inherited it from her own grandmother. Its quite a heavy piece and probably worth quite a lot of money. But its sentimental value is greater than its value in dollars： Its a beautiful object that holds many family memories.

Status and investment are good reasons to value gold， but， I think that the real reason people love gold is that it can be made into beautiful objects. Think about Tutankhamuns mask. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful？

People love gold because it captures our minds， our imagination and， above all， our hearts.

（1） Why did Indian businessman Datta Phuge buy a gold shirt？

（2） In the writers opinion， why do people love gold？

religious宗教的

elite精英

ounce盎司（重量单位，1盎司等于28.35克）

heirloom传家宝

inherit继承

sentimental情感上的

Tutankhamun图坦卡蒙（埃及法老）